Here's the thing with AD... He is the guy you don't mind paying when everything is in place. But shit is no longer in place. The overall roster quality has dipped considerably around him. And the quality of the offense has dipped as well.
Looking at his contract he has a $27M cap hit this season. $26M next season. And after a team out option in the 2024 offseason he has a $34M cap hit in the final year. He is 31 years old.
I think now is the time to move him. Chances are his game will degrade, and he knows that which is why he has been speaking of retirement, but part of the equation is his daughter lives in Pittsburgh. So to me there is no great sin in moving the guy to allow him to enjoy those last few years of his career and maybe milk out his retirement checks with another team. I'd love to see him retire in horns, but we could undoubtedly get some good value this offseason in exchange for him.
Most will react like I'm talking heresy I realize. But it makes a lot of sense from the business side and if the player is helped by it too then surely it can't be all that bad. No matter what he does in Pittsburgh in his remaining time he'll always be a Hall of Fame Rams player. He will always belong to us. But that contract and his age are a bad combination and if the Rams are serious about reloading this roster it seems to me like that could be the type of move that is a big shot in the arm.
Ramsey seems much more likely to happen. His game has declined significantly. But he won't bring the value in return that AD can bring. And the Rams can emerge from that cutthroat move much stronger and smarter than the average team, which tbh is what makes them who they are during the McVay years.